Board Game Therapy

Board games that help people talk, connect, and reflect. Practical tools for therapy rooms, classrooms, and game nights.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Every game night has a vibe. Some tables want strategy, some want laughs, some just want everyone included.

What kind of table do you run? Take the free 2-minute Table Type Quiz and find out.

https://t.co/pU9s7TsVjH

#BoardGames #GameNight

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Stories like "I'm not a strategic person" tend to loosen with small, low-stakes evidence rather than argument. A game table hands people that evidence a lot: the one who swore they can't plan ahead quietly sets up a winning move three turns early. However, it is challenging for many to do.
One of the earliest books I read related to this was Leadership and Self Deception, by the Arbinger Institute, where we need to get out of the box we enclose ourselves in, seek the truth. Great points!

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@wotstreets Great piece! I think a standout detail is from the 2024 school study using ordinary shop-bought games in 30-minute sessions, and some schools kept playing after the research ended. Cheap, simple, and something teachers chose to keep is a strong combination.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Dungeons & Dragons, one hour a week. In a small 2024 study from James Cook University, 25 people played for 8 weeks and their scores showed less depression, stress and anxiety, plus higher self-esteem. Early days, but worth following.

https://t.co/2eXPdyG4Ys

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

The line worth repeating from this review is that school mental health does not have to mean therapy. A counselling room matters, but on its own it can't change bullying, family stress or an unsafe school around a child.

What looked promising was structured and social. Like Shamiri's small weekly groups led by trained lay facilitators in Kenya, and a Uganda approach mixing games, movement, dance and breathing. Play and group connection sit right in that list, not off to the side.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Roughly: therapy can explore where a pattern comes from and treats mental health concerns, while coaching starts from where you are now and works toward an established goal that is meaningful to you. Therapists are licensed clinicians; coaching isn't regulated the same way. As a whole, a therapist is capable of everything a coach is but with extra capabilities. Nonetheless, niche and experience is still important.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@ronkecarew Never stop playing together. Your first point says it with "laugh together", and a regular card or board game night is one of the easiest ways to keep that going at home. A little friendly rivalry also shows you how your partner handles winning, losing and taking turns.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@Dra8er Making things simpler should definitely help. Good thinking!

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

One more chip from the bag, or stop while you're ahead?

Quacks of Quedlinburg asks that every round, and it's a safe place to notice how you make calls under pressure. Pusher or stopper, which are you?

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@therayjgreen Game tables teach this fast. Lose to a lucky roll after a smart turn and everyone agrees you played it right.

Sales calls never get that instant replay, so feedback like your three words has to do the job the table would do. Trust in the process for the best results!

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Myth: a good host fills every awkward pause.

Reality: when a Pandemic round ends on a failed last move, one breath of quiet before "What did each of you notice?" does more than a pep talk.

https://t.co/4pQeQa0XdS

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@Olafakomi Lily pad works because the only way to win is to give up a little personal safety for the group, which is the same trade a new product team has to learn. The game makes that trade visible in minutes instead of over a whole quarter.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@gamingthemind The interviews are the interesting part. Tilt scores went up, yet players said "I am more conscious of it now," and one said you need the right people to play with. Regulation is partly a team skill, so running TILTED with a whole squad may matter as much as the cards.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

53 studies, one tile game. A 2024 scoping review of mahjong research found older adults with more playing experience tended to show better thinking, psychological and everyday functioning. Most studies were correlational, so it's a link, not proof.
https://t.co/G63eQHAZvc

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Both, and the form is rarely the problem. When a review only says "show more initiative," the rating was likely decided first and the words filled in after. Feedback meant to develop someone points to a moment, says what it looked like, and says what better would look like. As a whole it really depends on the type of leader providing the feedback.

Game tables show the difference. A good debrief after a game sounds like "that trade on turn 4 opened the board for you," not "play better." Specific, recent and about the next round. Reviews could borrow that. Curious which side your guests land on Friday.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

Try this tonight: before the first turn of Cascadia, everyone names one goal that isn't winning. "Build one big salmon run." "Take every fox I can."

At the end, check goals before scores. You learn how people plan, and the low scorer often has the best story.

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@badthofficial @YouTube Or rather, any other recommended videos?

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@badthofficial @YouTube Stepping into a role to get a little distance from yourself is an idea that turns up at game tables too. For someone who has only heard the term, is there a part of the video you'd send them to first?

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@bo9su5 Fair call, and sorry for barging in. We're not the PvZ company, just a small account about using board games to help people connect. Best of luck to you!

[Board Game Therapy @playBGT]

@shraddhaha Building your own versions of the games you love hosting is such a fun twist. Your guests are lucky to have a host who tinkers with the game night itself.